Gilbert



J. T. GILBERT.

DEVICE Fon USE IN BUYING ICE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920 APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1918.

.IEIHN DUE.

IEnEIEI-NEMIZI 5T.

A TTOHNEYS J. T. GILBERT. DEVICE FOR USE IN BUYING ICE.

y APPLICATION FILED DEC. I0. 1918- 1,337,836. Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

JOI-IN TEXAS GILBERT, OF DE FUNIAK SPRINGS, FLORIDA.

DEVICEIOR USE' IN BUYING ICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Application led December 10, 1918. Serial No. 266,072.

To all whom. t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of De Funiak Springs, in the county of Walton and State ofFlorida, have invented a new and Improved Device for Use in Buying Ice,of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

My invention while adapted for other purposes is more particularlyintended for embodiment in a device for use by a householder in thepurchase of ice, and the invention especially relates to a deviceadapted to be placed at the exterior of a house whereby a coin, ticketor equivalent token may be deposited in a receptacle provided therefor,and a signal be displayed indicating the amount of the desired purchase.

The general 'object of the invention is to provide in connection withthe coin or ticket receptacle various appurtenances each having aspecial purpose and function, as follows, to wit: (1) a closure for thereceptacle with means to lock the same in the closed position, togetherwith a spring normally tending to raise the closure upon release oflocking means by the iceman; (2) a series of drop signals bearingnumerals or symbols indicating different quantities of ice mayoptionally be displayed by the householder, and be readily observed bythe iceman at a distance; (3) means to prevent children or unauthorizedpersons from tampering with or altering the displayed signal; (4) meanswhereby the signals will be automatically restored from the displayposition by the raising of the cover of the coin or ticket receptacle.Other objects and the advantages-of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.v

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, which it is to beunderstood are merely illustrative of 4one example of the invention. Y YY Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying niy invention,showing .the vsame in the supported position with one ofthe price orquantity signals displayed;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse vertical sec tions approximately onthe line4-4, Fig. 3, showing the closure of the receptacle in the raisedposition, and Fig. 4 showing the closure in the lowered and lockedposition;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the device with the back plate removed andother parts broken away or partly in section, one signal being indisplay position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 5, showing certain partsafter the frame carrying the closure of the receptacle has been releasedand said frame has started to move upwardly carrying with it the signalto be restored.

, Fig. is a horizontal section on the line !-7, Fig. 5.

In carrying out my invention in practice a suitable casing 10 isprovided securable to a wall A or other support by any suitable means,there being indicated bracket bars 11 at the back of said casing. On thecasing at the front is a suitable holder 12 to receive a name plate orcard 13.

A receptacle 14 is provided on the casing at the frontadapted to receivea coin, ticket or other token, said receptacle in the illustrated fornihaving the top and a portion of the front thereof open for theconvenient placing and removal of the token B for the purchase of thequantity of ice or other commodity as indicated by signals hereinafterdescribed. A movable closure 15 is provided on the receptacle 14, hereshown as adapted for vertical reciprocating movement to the open orclosed position, the closure having a funnele'd inlet 16 for the coin.Said closure is supported on the front of a vertically movable frame 17beneath the top cross bar of which is a suitable spring 19 here shown assemielliptical, tending to normally raise said frame to carry the coverto .an open position. The frame includes `side bars 20 and a bottomcross bar 21, said bars sliding in grooves in the sides of the casing10. In the lowering of the frame 17 to lower the closure 15 on thereceptacle, the spring 19 is placed under compression as indicated infull lines Fig. 5 to lock the frame into lowered position. A latch 23 isprovided on the cross bar 21, the latch in the illustrated exampledepending from the said bar and adapted to be engaged by a pin 24 on alock bar 25, disposed transversely in the casing beneath the bar 2l. Thebar 25 is adapted to be shifted laterally to release the catch 2S andpermit the spring 19 to raise the frame 17 for lifting the closure 15.It is designed that the bar 25 be unlocked. by the icemali or otherperson delivering the goods desired, for which purpose the ends of thebar are slidably supported in recesses 2G in the casing 10 and a spring27 suitably secured the to the casing and engaging said'bar normallytends to hold said bar in position with pin 24 in locked engagementVwith the latch 23. A key 23 inserted in a keyhole 29 is adapted toengage the end of the bar 25 to move the same to release position.

In the casing 10 I provide a series of signals 30, here shown as dropplates having guided movement between guide flanges 1()L within thecasing 10. rlhe signals are supported in the raised position by pins 31and in moving vertically the pins have clearance in vertical openings orslots 33 in the signals. Then a signal drops to the lowered positionwhich is permitted only when the cover frame 17 is lowered, said signalis supported by a lug or pin 32 thereon resting on the cross bar 2l ofsaid frame. rlhe supporting pin 31 in the raised position of the signal3() is beneath a shoulder formed by a lug 37 in the slot 33 of thesignal. Said pins 31 are each carried by a pushrod 34 having a coilspring 35 thereon adjacent to the head 35 which ris at the exterior ofthe casing, there being a series of suchrods corresponding with thenumber of signals on each head bearing a separate quantity or price marksuch as shown in Fig. 2 to indicate to the iceman or other merchant ordelivery man the amount to be delivered. The several signals 30 haveprice or quantity marks corresponding with the respective heads 36. Inthe lateral movement of the pin 31 by an inward movement ofits pushrod34, saidpin has clearance in a transverse slot 39in the casing 10.

In Figs. 1 and 5 the closure 15 is in closed position, the frame 17being locked in the lowered position and the central signal is alsoshown in the lowered position to display its numeral or price mark 25,its supporting pin 31 having been released from the shoulder 37, therebybringing the lug 32 to the position of rest on the cross bar 21. Theiceman may now insert the key 29 and Vshift the bar 25 laterally torelease the catch 23 which will-permit the spring` 19 to raise the frame17 and cover 15. At the same time the upward movement of the cross bar21 by engagement with the lug 32 will restore the signal to its originalposition.

The coin having been taken from the receptacle 14 the frame 17 will belowered and by reason of the action of the spring 27 the latch 23 willautomatically be engaged again with the pin 24, the signal 30, however,be-

ing held in the raised position by engagement of the pin 31 tting thelug 37, it being understood that the spring 35 of each pushrod 34 willalways tend to maintain the pin 31 in a position to engage beneath thelug 37. rlhe upper end of said lug 37 is beveled to engage the pin 31and shift the rod 34 against the action of the spring 35.

In order to lock the signal in its lowered position and thereby preventits being tampered with by unauthorized parties, I provide latch meansassociated with each signal. In the illustrated example there is on eachsignal a lateral movable latch 40 carried by a spring 41 secured to .thesignal, the latch being adapted to'be accommodated in the plane of thesignal in a recess 42 provided in the signal. In the lowered position ofa signal, the latch 40 will .engage beneath the locking bar 25.Il7lien',however, said locking bar 25 is shifted laterally by the key 29a slot 43in said lock bar will be brought into register with thelatch40,7thereby permitting the latter clearance to beY carried'upwardlyVwith the upward movement of the signal 30. i

I would state in conclusion that whilethe illustrated exampleconstitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limitmyself strictly to the Vmechanical details herein illustrated, sincemanifestly the same can be considerably varied without Ad`epar-- turefrom the spirit of the invention as delined inthe appended claims.V Y iHaving thus described my invention I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent :--Y e Y Y 1. Adevice of the class described includinga receptacle, a closure therefor, a vertically reciprocating framecarrying said closure, means to hold'theclosure and frame in the loweredposition, and drop signals selectively movable to a lowered signalingposition independently of the frame when the closure is in the closedposition VandV engageable by the frame in an upward move-- ment of thelatter to restore the signal with the raising of the closure, andmanually operatedA means for selectively releasing said signals to causethe same to fall to signaling position.

2. A device of the class described includingY areceptacle, a closuretherefor, a vertically reciprocating frame carrying said closure, meansto lock said frame in the lowered position, a drop signal movable to alowered signaling position independently -ofthe frame when the closureis in the closed position, latch means independent vof the frame Ytoautomatically lock the signal in the signaling position, said latchmeans bci-ng re-Y leasedby the unlocking ofthe frame locking means,r'and said signal adapted to be restored to its raised position'bytheraising of 3. A device of the class described including `a receptacle, aclosure therefor, means to `lock the closure 'in theA closed position, a

drop' signal movable toa lowered position,

meansto automatically lock the signal in the signaling position, andmeans to release said signal by the unlocking of 'said closure, and Vtovrestore said signal to the original position with the raising of theclosure.

' iso 4. A device of the class described including a receptacle, aclosure therefor, a frame carrying said closure and adapted to bevertically reciprocated to bring the closure to the closed or openposition, a series of drop signals, pins to hold the individual signalsin the raised position, and means separately operable to displace anindividual pin and permit a-selected signal to drop, the frame in thelowered position limiting the downward movement of the signals and thesignals being movable from a lowered to a raised position by the upwardmovenient of the frame.

5. A device of the class described including a casing, a receptaclethereon at the exterior, a closure for said receptacle, a frame carryingsaid closure and adapted to be vertically reciprocated in the casing tobring the closure to the open or closed position, a transverselydisposed locking bar below the frame, coacting latch means on the frameand locking bar and adapted to engage when the Jframe is in the loweredposition, a drop signal in the casing movable to a lowered signalingposition independently of the :frame when the latter is in the latchedposition, said signal being movable by the upward movement of the frameto restore the signal to its raised. position, and a spring-pressedlatch carried by the signal and adapted to engage beneath the lockingbar when the signal is in the lowered position, said locking bar beingmovable transversely to release the frame and having a notch thereinnormally out of register with the latch on the signal but adapted toregister with said latch by the release movement of the locking bar.

JOHN TEXAS GILBERT.

